AP File PhotoWithout Kyle Busch, front, and other Sprint Cup stars, how many people would watch Nationwide races?

Rarely are you going to hear me say anything positive about Sprint Cup’s Chase. However, I would like it if NASCAR instead applied its playoff format to the Nationwide Series.

Sprint Cup will solidify its 12-driver Chase field with Saturday night’s race at Richmond.

I'd like to see NASCAR wipe its Nationwide standings clean and start over, too, especially since Brad Keselowski has a 332-point lead over Carl Edwards.

There has been plenty of talk this summer about how NASCAR is considering changing how it crowns its Nationwide champion. The rumored plan? Cup drivers can continue to run as many Nationwide races they want, but they will no longer be eligible for the championship.

Don’t do that.

True, I hear all the time how unfair it is that Cup guys go in and dominate the Nationwide races. They say it would be no different if Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera went down to play in the minor leagues on his days off.

Maybe so, but I would be going to watch a lot more West Michigan Whitecaps games if Cabrera was at Fifth Third Ballpark, batting three or four times a night. I don’t care who is pitching against him.

Same thing with Kyle Busch. I don’t care if he is racing a Late Model at Berlin Raceway or in a Nationwide race. I’m probably going to watch it.

Why would you want to discourage drivers as popular as Busch and Edwards from competing in your race? That doesn’t make any sense. Call it a necessary evil if you want, but do you think ESPN2 will be there to cover all of these Nationwide races live if it they don't have any Cup drivers?

See Exhibit A: ARCA Series. I love ARCA, but you don’t find many of its races on television. Do you think ARCA’s bosses would be telling Busch he can’t run for the championship if he wanted to do so?

NASCAR took only the top 10 drivers and awarded no bonus points for victories when it introduced the Chase in 2004. This is the format NASCAR should use for Nationwide.

Sure, Keselowski, Edwards or Busch still is likely going to win the championship, but at least it would shake things up. There have been some close Nationwide points races in the past, but nine times in the past 15 years the champion has won by 210 points or more.

Besides, I would much rather see NASCAR go to the Chase for Nationwide than tell these Cup guys they can’t run for the title at all.